Noida International Airport marked a significant milestone in its development journey by welcoming its first cargo flight on June 17, just two days after commencing passenger services. The inaugural freight movement was operated by Afcom Cargo on the Chennai–Noida–Chennai sector using a Boeing 737-800 freighter carrying domestic e-commerce shipments.
The flight serves as a live operational demonstration of the airport’s cargo ecosystem, testing end-to-end processes including cargo handling, warehousing, aircraft turnaround, digital documentation, and multimodal connectivity through the Yamuna Expressway. The launch underscores Noida Airport’s ambition to emerge as a major aviation and logistics gateway for western Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region (NCR), while easing congestion at Delhi’s existing aviation infrastructure.
Chennai-based Afcom Cargo currently operates a fleet of three Boeing 737-800 freighters across Asia and the Middle East. The airline’s entry into Noida Airport follows a strategic collaboration that began with a Memorandum of Understanding between AISATS and Afcom Cargo in September 2025 and evolved into a tripartite agreement involving Noida International Airport in May 2026 to develop cargo services at Jewar.
Afcom Cargo brings considerable operational experience to the partnership. During disruptions to Middle East air cargo networks in the final quarter of FY2025-26, the carrier operated 415 charter flights, including services linking Chennai, Colombo, and Malé, helping maintain supply chain continuity amid market disruptions.
On the infrastructure front, AISATS has completed Phase 1 of cargo development at Noida Airport across nearly 80 acres. The company, a 50:50 joint venture between Air India and SATS Ltd., has established facilities with an initial cargo handling capacity of 200,000 metric tonnes annually, scalable to 1.5 million tonnes in subsequent phases.
At the heart of the development is a Multimodal Cargo Hub that integrates an Integrated Cargo Terminal with a Warehousing and Logistics Zone, enabling seamless road-to-air and air-to-road cargo movement. The facility features 22,000 square metres of warehousing space, two dedicated freighter parking bays operating 24/7, and integrated domestic, international, and express cargo terminals.
The cargo complex is equipped with advanced digital and operational infrastructure, including COSYS+, e-Acceptance systems, cargo community platforms, 19 truck docks, nine X-ray machines, and 12 Unit Load Device (ULD) roller decks, designed to enhance processing speed, visibility, and operational efficiency.
With cargo operations now underway alongside passenger services, Noida International Airport is positioning itself as a key logistics and trade hub capable of supporting the growing freight and e-commerce requirements of North India.
